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DEATH, THE INTERMEDIATE STATE
RESSURRECTION, AND FINAL DESTINY Many questions we have regarding the intermediate
and eternal states of departed persons will perhaps never be satisfactorily
answered while we are here in this world. However, we should never
let the thing we do not understand spoil our enjoyment of the things we do
understand in the Scriptures. The Bible was not written to merely satisfy
human curiosity, but to occupy us with the Lord Jesus Christ who alone is
enough to fill our hearts and minds, Nevertheless,
many things concerning life (for the soul) and incorruptibility (for the
body) have been brought to light through the gospel (2 Tim. 1:10). God has
been pleased to reveal these things to us that we might have the “full
assurance of hope” (Heb. 6:11). Otherwise, “if in this life only we have hope
in Christ we are of all men most miserable” (1 Cor. 15:19). The following
comments are some facts we do know about death, the intermediate state,
resurrection, and the final destiny of persons. DEATH Every person is
made up of three parts; a spirit (The God-conscious intelligent part of our
being), a soul (the seat of the emotions, appetites, and desires), and a body
(the physical). 1 Thes. 5:23. There are at least three different kinds of death
mentioned in Scripture. There is physical death, which occurs to the body
when the soul and spirit become separated from it (Jam. 2:26, 2 Cor. 5:8,
“absent from the body,” Gen. 35:18, 49:33, Job 14:10, Ecc. 12:7, Lk. 23:46,
Acts 7:59); there is spiritual death, which all men are in before salvation
being separated from God by their sins (Eph. 2:1, 5, Lk 15:24,32); and there
is “second death”, which is eternal separation from God under judgment (Rev.
20:6, 14). The cause of
death is sin (Rom. 5:12, 6:23). Death, however, does not mean extinction, for
all the dead “live unto Him” (Lk. 20:38). Men like to think that death is the
cessation of existence so that they might escape the consequence of their
sins, but the Scripture says that “it is appointed unto men once to die and
after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). The body is mortal (subject to
death—Rom. 6:12, 8:11, 1 Cor. 15:53-54, 2 Cor. 4:11) but the soul and spirit
are immortal. Just as the Bible tells us that there are only two ways to
live; “unto ourselves” or “unto Him” (2 Cor. 5:15). It also tells us there
are only two ways to die; “in the Lord” (Rev. 14:13), or “in our sins” (Jn.
8:24). To die “in the Lord” is to die being safe and secure from all judgment
under the shelter of the finished work of Christ, and hence to enjoy eternal
blessedness with Him forever. To die “in your sins” is to pass out of this
world eternally doomed for judgment. Death to a believer is precious in the
sight of the Lord (Ps. 116:15), while death to an unbeliever is something the
Lord has no pleasure in (Ezk. 33:11) for He is not willing that any should
perish (2 Pet. 3). Death to a
believer is called “sleep” and refers particularly to the body since the soul
does not sleep. (Mt. 27:52 “bodies of the saints which slept,” 2 Sam. 7:12,
Jn. 11:11, Acts 7:60, 13:36, 1 Cor. 11:30, 15:6, 18, 20, 51, 1 Thes. 4:14,
5:10) God may allow death to take place to a believer for three reasons, firstly,
for the glory of God (i.e., as a martyr, see Jn. 11:4, 21:18-19, Phil. 1:20); Secondly, because his work of service for the Lord is completed (Acts
13:36, 2 Tim. 4:7, 2 Pet. 1:14) and lastly, under the chastening hand of God,
for it is possible for a Christian to behave so poorly in this world that God
in wisdom would call that person home (Jn. 15:2, Acts 5:1-11, 1 Cor. 11:30,
Jam. 5:20, 1 Jn. 5:16). After Christ arose from among the dead and gained
victory over death (Rev. 1:18), death now is referred to as belonging to the
believer in Christ (I Cor. 3:21-22). This “king of terrors” (Job 18:14) who
holds people in fear is now but a servant to a Christian to bring him into
the immediate presence of Christ when his life has finished its course here
in this world (Phil. 1:23). THE INTERMEDIATE STATE Sheol and
Hades Sheol (old Testament
Hebrew) and hades (new Testament Greek) are one and the same.¹ While death is the condition of the body
without the soul and spirit, sheol or hades is the condition of the soul and
spirit without the body. Death demands the body, hades claims the soul and
spirit. Hades is a condition rather than a place of departed souls and
spirits, and simply means “the world of the unseen.” It is a temporary condition of disembodied
persons in the interval between death and resurrection. It has also been
called the separate (or intermediate) state since death has separated the
soul and spirit from the body. Sheol and hades are vague expressions used in
general to describe departed spirits whether righteous or unrighteous, saved
or lost ². Hence it is applied to both
the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:27, 31, 13:35) and the saints (1 Cor. 15:55),
as well as the lost (Lk 16:23, etc.)
Persons in this disembodied state are fully conscious having memories
and emotions, etc., (Lk 16:23-25), but are not cognizant of things presently
happening in this world since they are in another (Job 14:21, Ecc. 9:5, Isa.
63:16, 1 Sam. 28:15-19—when brought up, Samuel had to be informed of the
present condition of Israel). The fact that “the dead know not anything”
(Ecc. 9:5) does not mean that they are unconscious or non-existent. The
context of Ecclesiastes is regarding things “under the sun” (Ecc. 1:3 etc.), that is, in this
world. Hence the dead “know not
anything” going on in this world. You do not know what is happening right now
in Buckingham palace, because you are not there, but this does not mean you
are unconscious. You are simply not there to know. In the Authorized
version (KJV) hades, unfortunately, has been translated “hell.” This may
mislead some, for hell, the eternal and final place of the damned, is
distinctly different from hades, the temporary state of the deceased. The
following verses in the New Testament which say “hell” should be “hades”- -
Mt. 11:23, 16:18, Lk. 10:15, 16:23, Acts 2:27, 31, 1 Cor. 15:55,³ Rev.
1:18, 6:8, 20:13-14. Since the coming
of Christ we now have been privileged to know more concerning the disembodied
condition (hades). There is a
division in hades between the righteous and the unrighteous, and a great gulf
is fixed between them so that none can cross over to the other (Lk. 16:26). We now know the righteous in hades are in
paradise, and the wicked in hades are in prison. An illustration by the late Albert C. Hayhoe helps us to
understand this division. The assembly meeting room in the town where he
lived is constructed in such a way that upon entering you immediately come to
a landing where before you is a half flight of stairs that leads to the upper
floor and half flight a stairs that leads down to the basement. If you were to watch someone come down
that street and go up to the building and disappear behind the doors (which
he likened to death), from the outside as an onlooker, you would not see
exactly where the person went, whether it was to the upper floor or to the
lower floor. The same takes place
when a person passes through the article of death. The body goes into the
grave and the soul and spirit go into hades; either to paradise or to prison. Paradise The righteous in hades are in
paradise with Christ (Lk. 23:43, 2 Cor. 12:1-4, Rev 2:7). Paradise means “the
garden of delights” and describes the state of the righteous resting in
conscious bliss. The apostle Paul
equates it with (the 3rd) heaven (2 Cor. 12:1-4, Mat. 18:10). He
also refers to the believer in this condition as “unclothed” (2 Cor. 5:4) and
that it is “far better” than being alive in the body in this world (Phil.
1:23). The Jews believed Abraham
their forefather to be in the highest place of happiness. Hence when the Lord spoke of Lazarus
being in “Abraham’s bosom” they would clearly understand He referred to this
state of bliss (Lk. 16:22) Now since we can speak more specifically
of the state of the disembodied righteous being in paradise, hades, the more
vague and general term almost disappears in application to departed
believers. It is used only once in
the epistles in regards to the saints (1 Cor. 15:55). To illustrate this we might speak of a
person whom we know as gone to Britain; but after learning his particular
whereabouts, we would speak more specifically and say, he is in London, England
living with the royal family. Such is
the case with the believer who has departed from this world through
death. He is not just simply in
hades, but “with Christ” in paradise (Lk. 23:43, Phil 1:23). Prison The unrighteous in hades are in
prison (Isa. 24:21-22 “the kings of the earth,” 1 Peter 3:19-20). It is a temporary state wherein the souls
and spirits of the departed wicked are confined waiting for their final
sentencing at the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15). While they are in this confinement they
are suffering torment (Lk. 16:23-24).
Even though this prison-house of departed spirits is only a temporary
state, those who enter it have their destiny irrevocably and eternally
sealed. Some have been
perplexed as to what is meant by Christ preaching to “the spirits (men) in
prison” (1 Pet. 3:18-20) and have
supposed that He must have gone there after He died with a mission to give
the lost one last chance to get out.
This supposition is, of course, in error. The fact that the spirits in prison have been preached to is
undeniable, but it was when they were men upon the earth that Christ preached
to them (2 Pet. 2:5, Job 22:15-18) by the Spirit through Noah (Gen. 6:3, 1 Pet 1:11, 3:18-19). They rejected the preaching and
consequently are now in prison. The
fact that they have been preached to shows that they are not in this
prison-house of the lost unjustly, but the preaching took place back when
they were on earth not after Christ died. The abyss The abyss (translated in KJV “the pit,” Rev. 9:1-2, 11, 11:7, 17:8,
20:1-3, or “the deep,” Lk. 8:31) is
the temporary place of confinement for the wicked angelic spirits. The wicked angels will be put into the
abyss when the kingdom of Christ will be established on earth (Isa.
24:21-22). Some wicked angels are
there already ( 2 Pet. 2:4, Jude 6).
They will remain there until the great day of judgment at the end of
the Millennium (the thousand year reign of Christ) at which time they will be
cast into the lake of fire (2 Pet. 2:4, Jude 6, Mt. 25:41). Satan will also be confined there during
the Millennium ( Rev. 20:1-3) after which he will be cast into the lake of
fire (Mt. 25:41). “Tartarus” (2 Pet. 2:4 “the deepest pit of gloom” J.N.Darby
translation) apparently is a special place of solitary confinement in the
abyss in which some of the fallen angels are temporarily kept on account of
their personal wickedness (Jude 6).
Angels are not subject to death, nor do they partake in resurrections
(Lk. 20:35-36) |
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RESURRECTION As (physical) death is the separation of the soul
and spirit from the body (Jam. 2:26), resurrection is the reunion of the soul
and spirit with the body (1 Ki. 17:21-22, Lk. 8:55). The grave is the temporary custodian of
the body: Hades is the temporary
custodian of the soul and spirit.
All who die whether righteous or unrighteous will experience
resurrection. But, all the dead
still not rise simultaneously. There
are two resurrections (Jn. 5:29, Acts 24:15). The “first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4-6) called the “resurrection of
life” (Jn. 5:29) and the “resurrection of the just” (Lk. 14:14) is a
resurrection of righteous persons only.
This resurrection is referred to as the resurrection from “among the
dead” (Mt. 17:9, Phil 3:11, Col. 1:18, J.N.Darby translation) because it is a
selective thing in that the righteous are taken out from among the
wicked. The first resurrection takes
place in three phases: firstly,
“Christ the first fruits” (I Cor. 15:23, Mt. 28:1-8), then “they which
are Christ’s at His coming” (I Cor. 15:23, 1 Thes. 4-15-18), then lastly,
those sho turn to God during the tribulation period and are martyred (Rev.
5:9-10 J.N.Darby translation). The
second resurrection, called the “resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:29), and
the “resurrection of unjust” (Acts 24:15) is a resurrection of wicked persons
who have died in their sins. They
will be raised together after the 1000 year reign (Millennium) of Christ
(Rev. 20:7, 11-15) to stand before the “great white throne”, and receive
their sentence of judgment. All that
partake in this resurrection, which is the rest of the dead, will be cast
into the lake of fire forever. Reincarnation, the belief that supposes souls of
the dead successively return to earth in new forms of bodies, is nowhere
taught in Scripture. Matt. 11:14, where the Lord spoke of John the Baptist as
Elijah (Compare Mal. 4:5-6), has been used to support the mistaken idea. The Lord, however, was speaking of John
the Baptist as being of the same character and spirit as Elijah, not that he
actually was Elijah personally (Lk. 1:17).
The Bible teaches that once a person dies he does not return to earth
to live and die again. “It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this
the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). See also 2 Sam. 12:23, Job 7:9-10, Eccl. 12:7, Lk.
20:36, Phil. 1:23. FINAL
DESTINY Glory Resurrection for the believer is the
full and final aspect of deliverance from the whole effect and consequence of
sin. When the second phase of the first resurrection takes place at
the coming of the Lord (the rapture before the seven years of tribulation)
every child of God who has departed from this world through death will be raised
with incorruptible bodies (1 Cor. 15:51-55 “this corruptible must put on
incorruption” ‘ Thes. 4:15-18). The
bodies of the Christians living at the time of the Lord’s coming will also
undergo a change as they are caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Cor.
15:52-54 “this mortal must put on immortality”). The saints’ bodies (those raised and those caught up) will be
glorified like the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, which He showed to His
disciples in resurrection (Phil. 3:21, Rom 8:17, 30 , Lk. 24:39-43). When glorified the saints will not appear
with their ailments and old age, etc., but be in the “dew of their youth”
like Christ (compare Ps.110:3 with Phil. 3:21). The saints will also recognize one another in that day as
Peter, James and John recognized Moses and Elias on the mount of transfiguration
(Lk. 9:28-36). In addition to having
glorified bodies the saints will also experience a permanent moral likeness
to Christ (I Jn. 3:2). Thei fallen sinful nature will be eradicated forever
(Heb. 11:40, 12:23 “made perfect”). The apostle Paul speaks of this glorified
state as being “clothed upon with our house which is from heaven” (2 Cor.
5:1-2). It is also referred to as the
final phase of the saints’ salvation, which they have been told to wait for
(Rom. 5:9, 8:11, 19-25, 13:11, Heb 9:28, 1 Pet. 1:5). Then death will be “swallowed up in
victory” (1 Cor. 15:54). More than this, at the appearing of Christ (after
the seven years tribulation) the saints in their glorified state will be
displayed before the world as associated with Christ (2 Thes. 1:10). They
will live and reign with Him over the earth in the Millennial (1000 year)
kingdom (Rev. 20:4-6). This glorified state is eternal (2 Tim. 2:10). We often hear Christians speak
of departed loved ones “with Christ” in the intermediate state (“unclothed”)
as being in glory. This is not quite
accurate and implies they are in their glorified state, which they are not
yet. The disembodied state is not
glory.4 The glory is that which the departed and living
saints will be brought into at the coming of the Lord (rapture). Christ is in glory now (1 Pet. 1:21, 2 Cor. 3:18) and is waiting to bring His
saints there at His coming. The
disembodied saints are presently “with Christ” but not glorified like Christ
yet. Hell, The Lake of Fire After the 1000 year reign of Christ (the
Millennium) is concluded the second resurrection will take place. The remainder of the dead which are the
wicked (since the righteous are
raised at the first resurrection), will be raised to stand before the “great
white throne” upon which the Lord will sit as Judge. The books will be opened and their lives
reviewed. Consequently, they will
receive their sentence of judgment and be consigned to everlasting perdition
in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:5, 11-15).
The lake of fire is the eternal place of the damned and was prepared
for the devil and his angels, but all wicked and unrepentant creatures
including responsible men and women will be found there in the end (Mt.
25:41, 46, Rev. 20:15, 21:8). The
expression “lake of fire” is symbolic language describing the eternal
punishment of the lost. A lake is a
place where rivers and streams of water end.
Everything that flows into it is collected and confined there. Fire is a symbol of judgment in
Scripture. Hence the lake of fire is
a place of confinement under the judgment of God. Every person cast into the
lake of fire will be cast and alive for they will be resurrected at that
time. Their bodies will be
constituted to last through eternal ages; they will never die, but eternally
exist in the second death in the lake of fire. There will be no children or mentally handicapped persons there
who have not reached the age of accountable responsibility (Deut. 1:39, John 4:11) in their lives. God is faithful and just not to allow any
of these “little ones” to perish in a lost eternity (Mt 18:10-14, 2 Sam.
12:23, Gen. 18:25). They are all
under the shelter of the blood of Christ even though not intelligently able
to appreciate the value of it. The
persons who end up in the lake of fire will be responsible human beings who
have had plenty of opportunity to receive and believe the testimony God has
rendered to them of Himself, but have willfully rejected it. Neither will there be anybody in the lake
of fire repenting for his sins or genuinely sorry for what he has done when
in the body on earth. There will be
“weeping;” but this will be in self pity.
There will also be “gnashing of teeth;” but this is the return of insults
and cursing back at God (Mt. 8:12, 13:42, 50, 24:51, 25:30).5 “Hell” and the lake of fire
are the same place. They are the
final and eternal abode of the lost.
“Hell” is the English word used to translate “Gehenna” which is a
Greek word used to translate the Hebrew words for “valley of Hinnom.” The “valley of Hinnom” is a valley on the
south side of Jerusalem to which the dung gate led. In it was a fire called “Topheth” (2 Ki.23:10, Isa 30:33) constantly burning day and night for the
purpose of consuming the refuse of the city (Isa. 66:24). It was used symbolically by the prophets
to describe everlasting judgment (Isa. 33:14). “Gehenna” appears in the New Testament twelve times and is
correctly translated “hell” or “hell of fire”6 in the KJV (Mt. 5:22, 29, 30, 10:28,
18:9, 23:15, 33, Mk. 9:43, 45, 47, Lk. 12:5, Jam. 3:6). It also goes beyond just the literal
meaning of the “valley of Hinnom” to
refer to the place of eternal judgment. Contrary to popular belief there
are no persons yet in hell (the lake of fire). The first persons who will be put there are the Beast and the
False Prophet. This will take place
at the appearing of Christ (Rev. 19:20).
Lost persons are presently in prison in hades suffering torment, but
will later be consigned to hell forever after they are resurrected. To illustrate the difference between the
temporary condition of the lost in prison in hades and the final eternal
place of the lost in the lake of fire; suppose a person is found breaking the
law and upon being apprehended is put in the county jail (a temporary place
of confinement). He remains there
until his court date at which time he is brought before the judge and
sentenced for his wrongdoing. He is
then put into the state penitentiary where he serves his term. The county jail might represent the
prison in hades and the state penitentiary hell (the lake of fire). The devil and his angels who
will be confined in the abyss (the “bottomless pit”) will also be cast into
the lake of fire (Mt. 25:41), so that every wicked and unrepentant creature
will have their part in everlasting destruction. Everlasting destruction (2
Thes. 1:9, Phil. 3:19, Mt. 7:13, 2
Pet. 2:1, 12, 3:16,etc.) Which will be
the portion of the lost, does not mean a cessation of existence as some
annihilationists teach. Destruction
never means a cessation of existence.
For instance, if you took and axe and destroyed a beautifully designed
table there would be just as much material lying in a useless heap on the
floor as when it sat as a beautiful useful table. Once it has been destroyed it is no longer useful for the
purpose for which it was made. Man
was created for the glory of God (Rev. 4:11). If he goes into eternal destruction he is then no longer able
to be fitted through salvation for the purpose for which he was created. It is called “everlasting”
destruction because there is no recovery from this condition. It is eternal (Mk. 3:29). As we consider the destiny of
the lost in eternal separation from God who is light and love, may we be
solemnized as we realize that this soon will be the portion of those who
believe not God and obey not the gospel of Christ. (2 Cor. 5:11) B. Anstey June 1990 1 “Concise Bible Dictionary.” P.357. “J.N.Darby
Translation,” Psalm 6:5(footnote), Mt. 11:23 (footnote), F.W.Grant, “Facts
and Theories as to a Future State,” p.144, “Help and Food,” vol. 14, p.140,
vol. 21, p. 138, H.E. Hayhoe, “Paradise,” p. 2, A.J. Pollock, “Hades and
Eternal punishment,” p. 3, 10-12.
There are occasions, however, where sheol is even more comprehensive
including also the grave where the body lies (Gen. 37:35, 42:38, 44:29, 31. Num.
16:30, 33, 1 Ki. 2:6,9, Ps. 49:15, Ps. 141:7). 2 J.N. Darby, “Collected Writings,” vol. 13, p. 179,
C.E.Stuart, “The Unclothed State,” p. 6, W. Scott, “The Book of Revelation,”
p.49, 414, F.W. Grant, “Facts and Theories as to a Future State,” p.151,
“Help and Food”, vol.14, p. 140, vol 30, p.57 “Scripture Truth,” vol.28,
p.247. 3 In the KJV this verse reads “grave” (“hell”- -
margin) but should be “hades”. 4 J.N. Darby, “Collected Writings,” vol. 31, p.179,
p.185. 5 Compare Acts 7:54 6 There is a great difference between hades and
gehenna. Although both are
translated “hell” in the KJV only gehenna should be translated “hell”. Hades is not hell, but gehenna is. Hades is a condition; gehenna is a place (where the whole person
including the body is cast- - Mat.. 5:29-30,
10:28, 18:8-9). Hades is temporary (Rev. 20:13); gehenna is eternal (Mk. 9:42). Hades affects the soul (Acts 2:27,
31); gehenna affects both body and
soul (Mt. 10:28) |